David Horrobin

48 PN OBITUARIES 1979 he left academia and began the notably evening primrose oil, as David Horrobin second major phase of his career potential remedies for many 1939 – 2003 when he set up the Efamol Research conditions, and funded both basic Institute in Nova Scotia, which and clinical research into their spawned the biotechnology company actions. Only a few of these potential Scotia Pharmaceuticals in 1987. uses have resulted in accepted David ran Scotia until leaving the treatments, which has led some company after a boardroom struggle commentators to view David’s work in 1997 to form Laxdale Ltd, which at Scotia with a slightly jaundiced eye he ran until his death. – somewhat harshly, I feel, given the enormous difficulties in bringing new I got to know David well in the 70s medicines to fruition. Although during three years he spent in the Scotia is no longer trading, a search Newcastle Physiology Department on Medline reveals that research into and subsequently when he persuaded gamma-linolenic acid continues – me to found and edit the journal Cell with nearly 100 papers published in Calcium. Characteristics of his that each of the last three years – and the most stick in my mind are his importance of PUFAs in physiology intelligence, his unflagging and medicine cannot be disputed. As enthusiasm for new ideas and his David Horrobin, who died of a tireless promoter of research into generosity. David was always trying lymphoma on 1 April was a ‘full PUFAs, David Horrobin deserves to to do something new, and was never time’ physiologist for only the early take some of the credit for this. content to stand still. He was also an part of his career. Because of this, I excellent teacher and inspirer of Numerous obituaries of David suspect his name may be less well others, always ready to spend time Horrobin appeared in the national known to Society members than to with people to get the point across. and specialist press. Several are worth people in medicine or the reading, notably those in the Times, pharmaceutical business. However, David was also, needless to say, The Scotsman, and The Lancet, but he remained an active member of the prolific. When he came to work in the one that has attracted the most Society throughout his working life, a Newcastle he was already the author attention was a bizarre, negative, and testament to his lifelong search for of a classic textbook for medical deeply ill-judged one which appeared new ideas, particularly in the area of students, written during his time in in the British Medical Journal, and research into polyunsaturated fatty Nairobi, and of several other books which caused considerable hurt to acids, and latterly into schizophrenia. besides, including a noted guidebook David’s family. What the author of to East Africa! He published a huge David was a true ‘renaissance man’. this hatchet-job had against David is number of articles and several more He was, inter alia, scientist – and one hard to fathom, but she unwittingly books, culminating in his recent book who experimented on himself at that ended up providing him with a rather The Madness of Adam and Eve: Did - teacher, author, journal founder special memorial. Within days of the Schizophrenia Shape Humanity? and editor, publisher, research obituary appearing, over 100 people (Bantam Press, 2001), which was charity president, entrepreneur and – friends, family, former colleagues short-listed for the Aventis Science CEO. More than enough for several and other researchers, or just plain Book Prize the following year. lifetimes - and I have probably interested readers – had written in to omitted several other roles. He was the BMJ to reject her verdict on Throughout his career David was also someone who spoke his mind – David and, in many cases, share their always ready to argue his ideas in frequently and eloquently – and reminiscences of this exceptional print, whether scientific or in what rather enjoyed a good argument. person. This response exceeded in one might call the ‘politics’ of volume the correspondence produced refereeing and funding. This The bare facts of David’s career are by any other piece the BMJ has ever outspokenness meant that some in remarkable enough. He won a printed. The letters, which can be the scientific and medical scholarship to Oxford to read read on the BMJ website, make establishment viewed him as an Medicine and, following clinical and fascinating reading, and give a real irritant. But it is David’s later career research training in London, became sense of the man, his life and work, as a pharmaceutical scientist Professor of Medical Physiology in and above all his gift for inspiring entrepreneur that generated the most Nairobi at the age of 31. From there others. controversy, both in his lifetime and he moved to Newcastle as Reader in beyond it. Scotia promoted Maynard Case Physiology in 1972, and to Montreal polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) School of Biological Sciences as Professor of Medicine in 1975. In and products containing them, University of Manchester .

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